Major life changes and dental insurance: What you need to know

Major changes often have a way of affecting many more parts of our lives than we originally anticipate. Often, our health benefits – including dental – are affected. Whether retirement, recent job loss, a switch to self-employment or an addition to your family, establishing dental benefits is a crucial part of supporting your overall health. No matter your situation, Delta Dental offers seamless options to continue previous benefits or start new ones entirely.

Frequently left out of many retirees’ futures is employer-funded health and dental benefits. While more than 6,000 Americans turn 65 each day, only about 32% of retirees receive continued health benefits from their employer. Retirees are often left to make benefit decisions on their own in an unfamiliar, ever-changing healthcare environment leading some to forgo dental coverage. One thing you shouldn’t retire is good oral health. Neglecting to have dental coverage and regular dental visits after retirement can lead to further complications, which means even more dental visits, extensive procedures and expenses that far outweigh the investment in preventive care.

Losing a job is stressful, regardless of the circumstances. In addition to finding a new source of income, health and dental insurance are often lost.

Similarly, choosing self-employment or adding a member to your family means choosing the best health benefits for you and your family.

For anyone experiencing life changes, follow these three steps to choose the coverage that best fits you:

Evaluate your needs

Everyone has different health needs – including you and the dependents covered under your plan. Individuals with risk factors, such as tobacco use or prior cavities, will have different needs. Families with children will likely have different dental care needs than an older couple or a young individual.

Know the value of dental plans

There are monetary benefits to dental plans, of course. Not only do dental benefits save you money by lowering the cost of dental treatments and sharing expenses with the carrier, but you can save even more money by using an in-network dentist.

Bonus:

Studies have shown that people who have dental benefits are more likely to go to the dentist, and people who visit the dentist regularly are more likely to report a healthy mouth and better overall well-being than those who don’t.